Warning! Sport can make you lonely

The woman reached the final of the US Open, has already earned over $6 million playing tennis – and now Leylah Fernandez is addressing young men in an Instagram video, asking them to apply for a date. She captioned it: "It's not a joke."

In fact, it's more of a drama of everyday sporting life. Training, traveling, tournaments, sponsorship commitments: Athletes who aspire to the top of the world have little free time and constantly live in a bubble . It's not easy to meet a nice person with whom you can discuss anything and everything – and not just about the perfect forehand or mistakes on the return.

The player said the impetus for the unusual call came from her father , Jorge Fernandez . He is also her coach and sees her every day. "Have you ever been on a date?" he asked Leylah. And when she said no, he said, "Then it's about time." However, he also stipulated that the chosen man had to introduce himself to him first.

It's safe to assume that her daughter rolled her eyes at this remark. Does that really have to happen?! The athlete simply wants to enjoy a moment of normality. Drink a coffee, walk in the park. "I just want to experience what it's like." The interest, not entirely unexpectedly, is enormous. On the very day she posted the appeal, Fernandez received over 100 direct messages on Instagram.

There are likely to be many fans among them. Is it a good foundation for one person to idolize the other as a sports idol ? Fernandez will find out. She emphasizes how difficult friendships are for people from the tennis world . They have long-distance relationships, and they usually only see each other via video. Unless they're with someone from their bubble. "But I strongly advise against that," says Fernandez.

She probably has her reasons for this. In fact, there are certainly examples of couples from the tennis bubble who work extremely well together. Belinda Bencic has been in a relationship with her fitness coach Martin Hromkovic for years; in April 2024, they became parents of a daughter , whom they named Bella. It has since been revealed that they married in a civil ceremony during Bencic's pregnancy.

Roger Federer and his wife Mirka are also a tennis couple. The two fell in love during the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. The Olympic Village is considered the largest dating platform in sports. Young people from all over the world and from dozens of sports meet there while strolling, in the dining room, or at parties. Countless partnerships have been formed this way.

Leylah Fernandez has already participated in two Summer Games: in Tokyo in 2021 and in Paris in 2024. Apparently, she didn't even have time for a coffee with a nice young man. Was her father paying too much attention?

An article from the « NZZ am Sonntag »